English media: Centennial oak trees will be cut down to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral

According to Reuters reported on March 8, in the former royal forest, oak trees that were hundreds of years old began to be cut down. After the spire of Notre Dame was destroyed by fire, the oaks will be used to rebuild the spire of Notre Dame.

The spire of Notre Dame cathedral was engulfed in flames in April 2019 and collapsed to an arched roof, leaving onlookers heartbroken.

President Macron announced last summer that the 96-meter-high spire would be rebuilt in the form originally designed by Violet-le-Dijk in the 19th century and began looking for the 1,000 oak trees needed to build the spire and more.

Emerick Albert, commercial director of the French Forestry Commission, said of the trunk of a 200-year-old oak tree that was sawn down: "It's superb. It is straight and without any internal flaws. ”

The trunk was large enough to make 18-meter-long oak beams that helped bear the weight of the spire, he said.

The trees will be taken from forests near Le Mans and will have to be cut down by the end of March. The trunks — each worth about 15,000 euros (about $17,800) — will be dried for 12 to 18 months before being cut into the desired shape.

Albert said the selected trunks came from forests that had previously supplied timber to the French Navy.

"Now, we will make room for a new generation of oak trees, and in 200 years, a new generation of oak trees will create this forest that we see now," he said. (Compilation/Yin Xia)

Source: Reference News Network